Nina Singh - Captivated By The Millionaire

“Do you prefer an electronic transfer of funds?”

She shook her head. “No. I mean I won’t accept any money. It was a labor of love. Truly. I’m happy to know Sonya liked it and hopefully she’ll enjoy it even more with the additions made today.”

Jordan felt a moment of uncertainty. Should he insist? He’d never had anyone turn down a fee for rendered services before. The original artwork was one thing, but he’d asked her to come by this afternoon and add to it.

She smiled at his confusion. “It really isn’t necessary, Jordan. You needn’t waste another thought on it.”

What manner of sorceress was this young lady? She beguiled him. Did something to his senses he wasn’t familiar with nor prepared for. Under any other circumstances, despite their clear differences and incompatibility, he might have asked her out. Maybe something as simple as having her show him around this new town he found himself in. And then at the end of the day, they could share a bottle of wine over a cozy candlelit dinner. Then see where things led.

Just. Stop.

Mere moments ago he’d been reminding himself of all the reasons he shouldn’t entertain such thoughts about Jess—or any other woman for that matter.

“I don’t know what to say. I feel like I should pay for all the time and effort you put in.”

Her eyes narrowed on his face. “I assure you, it isn’t necessary in this case. Like I said, I refuse to be paid for a task I initiated and loved doing.”

He’d never actually thought about it that way; wasn’t sure if it even made much sense. “If you’re certain,” he said, giving her a chance to change her mind once more.

“I am. I wouldn’t cash a check if you gave me one.”

Several awkward moments ensued. Neither one of them seemed to know what to say next. Though he felt like kicking himself, he desperately didn’t want her to walk out the door just yet.

“Do you need help gathering your things?” He finally managed to speak a coherent question.

“Uh... Thanks but I’ve already loaded everything into my car.”

“Oh. I guess—I guess you’re all set, then.”

She glanced away, a rosy glow appearing on her cheeks.

But then they both spoke at once, over each other.

“I can see myself out.” Just as Jordan said, “I’ll walk you to your car.”

Okay, now the air felt really awkward. He was a successful, accomplished businessman for heaven’s sake. He gave professional presentations and delivered talks to some of the most prominent people in the industry. And here he was stammering, trying to talk to a woman he’d just barely met.

He had to get a grip. And he had to stop focusing on how her curves filled out what should have been a completely unflattering denim outfit. Or how her nose seemed to have just the perfect number of light freckles that he only just now noticed.

This was getting ridiculous. He shook off the wayward thoughts. There was no use for them. He was bound to run into her from time to time. Especially considering Sonya would no doubt participate in many activities at the community center where Jess worked. But he would leave it at that. He owed it to his little sister to make her the number one priority right now. After all, if it wasn’t for him, that precious little girl could still very well have her hearing intact.

“I should probably get back to work, then,” he told her then watched her walk out without another word.

* * *

She certainly was leading a glamorous, adventurous life, Jess thought with sarcasm as she settled onto her couch and pulled her tablet out to find a movie to stream. Unlike her mother.

Martha’s Vineyard had its fair share of pubs and restaurants. There was plenty to do to socialize, particularly in the summer. She’d been invited to head out to one of those spots with a couple of friends in her apartment building. She’d declined. This suited her just fine. Lately, she was getting tired of the weekend routine of staying up all night then missing half the next day sleeping in. Anyway, she needed some downtime. Her emotions had been on a proverbial roller-coaster ride since Jordan Paydan had stridden into town.

Some strange sorcery must have come into play just then because her tablet lit up with a notification of an incoming call. To her surprise, it was Jordan. Probably calling to give her feedback on Sonya’s reaction to the completed diorama. Her mouth went dry and she took a quick sip of water before she could answer.

“Hello,” she spoke into her phone.

“I hope I’m not calling at an inconvenient time,” his smooth, baritone voice asked over the tiny speaker.

Jess glanced down at the capri sweats she wore and her thinned-out ratty T-shirt. Then she glanced at the pint of mint chocolate chip she planned on as her dinner.

“No. Not at all.”

“We were wondering if you were busy later. If you had plans for this evening?”

They were? It took effort to keep her voice from stammering when she answered. “Nothing terribly exciting or urgent,” she managed to say. Quite an understatement that was. Her date with the streaming service notwithstanding.

There had to be some explanation for this phone call. Perhaps it wasn’t even happening. Maybe she was just dreaming it. It was the only theory that made sense.

“Excellent. See, you and I were sort of wrong about Sonya’s reaction to your artwork.”

Jess’s heart sank. That explained everything. He was calling because his sister was less thrilled, apparently wanted something changed.

“Uh, we were?”

“She wasn’t just happy with it. She was thrilled.”

“Oh!” Relief surged through her chest. “I’m so happy to hear that.”

His amusement at her reaction was clear in his voice when he spoke again. “She asked to thank you in person. Like immediately. Any chance you can join us for dinner?”

The offer was so unexpected, Jess was glad she’d put her glass down on the coffee table. No doubt she would have dropped it. “Dinner?”

He hesitated. “We’ll understand if you’d rather pass—”

“No! I mean, I didn’t have any plans for dinner at all. Other than the ice cream. Mint chocolate chip. Which isn’t really a dinner, but sometimes a girl just needs to relax with a creamy frozen treat. Plus, it’s from Bimby’s down the street. Have you been there yet? The best ice cream this side of the Atlantic. And they have all sorts of fun activities. Mini-golf, bumper boats. You should really go. Even a petting zoo!” Oh, dear Lord, now she was rambling like a madwoman.

Thank goodness he couldn’t see the redness that was sure to be coloring her cheeks. He’d just so completely thrown her off guard. Not that she ever felt fully calm or collected when it came to this man.

He chuckled once more. “We’ll be sure to check it out. As for tonight, I’ve just fired up the grill, then Sonya’s going to help me throw together a salad. It should all be ready by the time you get here.”

Jess knew she should decline, knew that graciously turning down his invite would be a good idea. An even better idea would be to resolve to try and avoid Jordan Paydan as much as humanly possible.

And it wasn’t like she was in any state of dress to be seen out in public, in a ratty T-shirt with even rattier capri sweats and fuzzy socks. Why on earth couldn’t she be one of those women who stayed dressed and ready for anything? Rather than one who threw on any old top and a pair of sweats at the first opportunity? Again, so unlike her mom. Jacinda was always ready to go, no matter what the situation called for. Not this again. How many times a day did she have to remind herself not to compare herself to her mother? She’d learned long ago that no one really compared to the woman, least of all her only child. For one, Jacinda wouldn’t dream of living full-time on an island off the Massachusetts coast where most people only came on vacation.